$600 Million Plan To Help Flint Proposed By Senate Democrats

A group of Congressional Democratic lawmakers from Michigan has proposed legislation to provide $600 million in financial assistance to help Flint deal with its current water crisis. The measure would grant the EPA up to $400 million in federal emergency funding to help replace or fix lead-contaminated water pipes, hire new personnel and cover the cost of technical assistance. Flint's water crisis dates back to 2014, when a state-appointed emergency manager decided to switch the city's water source to the Flint River to save money. But the water from that river was corrosive and caused lead to seep into old pipes, contaminating the water supply and leaving the city reeling.